Stoicism: a Philosophical Introduction (In-Person)

“Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well.” Taken from the Handbook of Epictetus, a former slave turned philosopher and educator, this maxim expresses a signature teaching of the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. It encapsulates the Stoic conception of “tranquility,” a life free from the emotional turbulence we experience in the face of life’s difficulties, from sour emotions (the coffee shop is out of my favorite drink) to overwhelming grief (a loved one unexpectedly died). The goal is for the Stoic to align her rational self and individual will with the course of an impersonal cosmos, to wish that events happen as they do because these events, like the rational subject herself, form part of a rational whole. But why should we believe that any event is good, simply by virtue of its having happened? What sorts of ethics and politics follow from a Stoic worldview? What role in Stoicism is there, if any, for art, science, pleasure? Is Stoicism even psychologically plausible? Is a Stoic life worth living?

In this course, we will investigate these questions as we read widely from the ancient corpus of Stoicism, from the fragments of early Greek Stoics like Zeno and Chrysippus to great works of Roman Imperial Stoicism, such as the Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Throughout we will consider Stoicism as a systematic philosophy, a way of life whose ethical and political demands rest on a comprehensive theory of reality and our place within it. Our survey will proceed accordingly, beginning with a look at Stoic physics, theory of mind, and theory of knowledge. Turning then to the ethical and political fruits of Stoic thought, we’ll consider the enduring appeal of the Stoic ideal of tranquility, which in antiquity captured the minds of slaves and emperors alike, and which even today continues to win adherents among those in search of consolation and self-improvement. We’ll also consider Stoic cosmopolitanism, the political ideal of a cosmic city of the wise, as well as its modern legacy. At every stage we’ll keep in mind questions of the enduring relevance of Stoic thought. What does Stoicism have to teach us about the quest for happiness and self-improvement today? How does it accord, if at all, with contemporary ideas of justice, equality, and freedom? Is Stoicism a philosophy of political quietism and abstention or a governing philosophy absolving rulers of the consequences for their actions—or both?

Course Schedule

Monday, 6:30-9:30pm ET
November 16 — December 07, 2026
4 weeks

$355.00

Registration Open

Stoicism: a Philosophical Introduction (In-Person) quantity

Enroll